Digital Addiction Threats: On Social Media Use by Children

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionising how we interact with others, share, and consume information. Its importance in maintaining personal relationships and accessing real-time news is immense, making it a necessity. In the meantime, its excessive use is negatively impacting the mental health of the users, particularly among youth and children. It has also become a breeding ground for misinformation and propaganda, besides disrupting daily life by fostering addiction, reducing productivity, and reducing attention spans. Many children are living in a different world today, devoid of reality; they find difficult to concentrate on their studies or do something productive. Toddlers refusing to eat without an electronic gadget in their hands are not rare today. Sensing the danger it poses for the future generations, several countries like Australia and France have decided to impose a complete ban on children. India too seems to have woken up to the reality. The Economic Survey 2025-26, which was tabled in the Parliament last week, stated that unchecked digital exposure is fast becoming a public health concern and that its addiction may affect mental health, academic performance and productivity. It suggested that age-based access to social media platforms should be considered seriously as digital addiction is threatening to become a bane rather than a boon. Social media is like a double-edged sword, with its pros and cons; hence the need to find common ground between the differing opinions.

Among various steps to reduce addiction, the Economic Survey has suggested age-appropriate access limits, platform accountability for age verification, simpler devices for children and reduced dependence on online classes, etc. But a close look at all these remedial steps will definitely suggest the difficulties in implementation. Firstly, we must realise that the feat cannot be achieved by issuing government orders only; it requires active participation of all concerned. For instance, it is not possible for a child to know about the restrictions. So, it becomes the duty of the parents to keep their wards out of it; not allowing them any access to social media platforms. This should not be limited to homes alone; it should be practiced in schools too, including dissemination of information to students. Other challenges to implementing social media restrictions for children include age verification issues, technical limitations that may enable users to bypass checks, and access through relatives and friends. Without plugging such loopholes, even the most stringent law will prove to be ineffective.